Municipal Court costs increase by $815,609

Published 1:12 pm, Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The city of Midland’s new municipal court is going to cost $815,609 more than the last estimate made in March, bringing the total project cost to $14.9 million.

During the briefing before Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council was told that the additional costs account for materials testing, a pedestrian walkway, IT and security-related expenditures, a generator, audio/visual allocation, a VOIP telephone system, fiber optic installation, other communications expenditures and professional fees.

Municipal Court Judge Robin Smith explained how extra costs outside the original budget arose within the last month. To give an example, Smith said the telephone equipment from the current courthouse was going to be relocated into the new one, but because the system is 25 years old, they opted for a new VOIP system instead.

“We want to make sure it’s done, and we want to make sure the funding is there,” Smith said.

On Tuesday, City Council fully funded the project from the unappropriated fund balance.

Assistant City Manager Robert Patrick assured the council that there is an $800,000 contingency for this project, in case there are additional costs.

This is not the first time the estimated cost of the Municipal Court increased. The project jumped from $8 million in 2010 to $14 million in March of this year. The project began back in 2001, but inflation and failed negotiations caused repeated delays.

District 4 Councilman J.Ross Lacy had considered suggesting a $1,000-per-day penalty clause to the contract to discourage the contract manager at risk from delaying the project. But he decided against it before the council meeting began. He said he thinks the contractor will finish the project on time.

Construction is set to begin on Jan. 15 and is expected to take 13 months to complete.

The new two-story courthouse, to be built downtown on North Baird Street between East Illinois Avenue and East Texas Avenue, will include more office space and parking than the current courthouse, which the city has outgrown. The city plans to close a block of Baird Street in front of the courthouse entrance for parking spaces.

In March, Smith said the courthouse will have additions not typical of a municipal court, such as a prosecutor’s office and magistrate facilities.

The new courthouse has an expected life of 50 years.

“Is there space we may not use right now? Absolutely,” Smith said. “But in 50 years, we don’t have to add on.”